Cross-border Airline Terminal Under Construction

Construction is beginning on the cross-border airline terminal that will give travelers easier access to the Tijuana airport form the San Diego side.

U-T San Diego reports that crews began sealing off the construction site at the airport this week. The project's developers say the cross-border terminal should be operational by the end of next year.

The Tijuana airport sits right on the U.S. Mexico border, and the new project will include a pedestrian bridge that connects the airport to a new U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station just over the border fence in Otay Mesa. Because it will be available exclusively to ticketed airline passengers who pay a toll, the wait to cross the border is expected to be minimal.

The terminal has been in the works for years. It has been promoted by supporters as a way to boost bi-national ties and economic development.

But it has also faced opposition from some in Tijuana, including the mayor. He says the benefits to Tijuana are unclear. The project's main goal is to shuttle people between the Tijuana airport directly to the city of San Diego. Tijuana taxi drivers have also opposed the project, fearing they will lose much of their business driving travelers between the airport and existing border crossings.